SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State posted its best attack efficiency in nearly three years Friday evening, hitting .354 as a team with nine aces in a 25-20, 25-7, 25-16 sweep of visiting Louisiana Monroe in the 2021 home opener to cap the opening day of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational at Hammons Student Center.

The Bears (5-2) out-scored the Warhawks (3-7) 60-27 over the final two-and-a-half sets, including an error-free second period with 16 kills and a .615 hitting percentage.

"One of our biggest improvements this year is our hitting percentage, we're hitting about 80 points higher than last year," head coach Steven McRoberts said after the Bears' highest percentage since Sept. 28, 2018. "We have weapons at every position, which makes it tough on our opponents when we're passing well."

The first set included 10 ties and seven lead changes, the last of each coming in a 7-0 run for a 22-16 lead that including two aces from Brooklyn Cink, who added six kills in the opening period.

Cink then served the Bears to a 13-0 run in the second set for a 17-2 advantage, as five different players registered multiple kills in equaling the fourth set at Arkansas State two weeks ago for MSU's largest set victory margin since 2013.

Missouri State opened the third set on a 4-0 run and never looked back, using four aces and four blocks to complete the sweep.

Freshman Maddy Bushnell hit .750 with nine kills to share high honors with Manuela Ibarguen and Amelia Flynn, who surpassed 1,100 career kills during the contest.

Cink served four aces and Ibarguen had three, Teagan Polcovich lifted a season-high 22 digs, and Azyah Green tallied six blocks.

The Bears led .354-.123 in efficiency, 42-30 in kills, 54-39 in digs and 9-3 in blocks and 9-1 in aces.

Missouri State resumes tournament play at noon Saturday against Tulane (6-2).